


Returning Home

by sklbug15



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Canon Universe, Multi, Pining, Resurrection, hinted Gabriel/Sam, post season 13 pre season 14
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-11
Updated: 2018-10-11
Packaged: 2019-07-29 17:44:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16269203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sklbug15/pseuds/sklbug15
Summary: Taking place after the season 13 finale, Mary, Castiel, Jack and Sam deal with Dean being possessed by Michael. Other forces are at play though and alternate universe Michael isn't the only being they have to worry about.





	Returning Home

**Author's Note:**

> I have been attempting to write this fic for years. Of course every season things changed and I'd have to start over again. I rushed through and finally finished with half an hour to go before the premiere. It's not been beta read or anything so I hope you enjoy! I might add a second smaller chapter later on to finish wrapping up things that I may have missed.

Castiel sat on the stairs where he'd collapsed after Dean had left. He could feel Sam's eyes boring into his back, a look of concern on the younger Winchester's face he knew.   
The young Nephilim had retired to the room he had selected as his own. Mary had shut herself away a long time ago, eyes glassy and hair tangled.   
The angel traced his finger along the edge of the stair next to him mulling over his own thoughts. Dean being possessed by Michael changed everything. A wild grin crossed the man’s face. He knew what he had to do. 

Dean could hear screaming. He tried looking around, but everything was dark. He wondered briefly if something had been tied over his eyes, but he couldn’t feel anything brushing against his face. The hunter went to move his hands to check, but nothing happened. His hands wouldn’t move. He couldn’t even feel them. Panic rose in his chest, the hunter couldn't breathe. What was going on? He opened his own mouth to let out a scream but nothing would come out. Then...  
"Dean," a voice whispered. 

Blood covered Hell. Demons scratched, punched, clawed and stabbed one another. Intestines and eyeballs were flung into corners. Hellhounds growled and fought demons and each other.   
A demon took in the chaos, attempting to flatten herself against a wall. She needed to wait this out. Then and only then would she make her move. That was how she’d always operated after all. She slunk down the hallway her mind racing. A voice stopped her in her tracks. She raised her head. No, that wasn't her name. But, something stirred in her head. It was. She heard the voice again.  
Bela...

Michael walked down the streets, humans passing by him. None of them paused to give him a second look. The archangel watched a child kick at a dog when his mother wasn't looking. The dog growled and the mother turned to yell at the owner. Michael glared at the oblivious woman. How dare they treat an innocent creature like that. He turned his head to see a man drop a cup onto the ground and walk away. Newspapers blew by in the breeze. Exhaust left the back of cars. The archangel grew angrier and angrier. The humans on this earth didn't treat it any better than the one he came from. A tinge of regret hit him. His brother, Lucifer had been right about these humans. They needed to pay for their sins. But first he would need help. 

"Bela..." the demon followed the voice down the halls. Her eyes searched the walls, searching, searching. She stopped suddenly. A door lay in front of her. It gleamed golden. But, she'd been down here before and never seen it.   
"Come to me..." the voice said. She reached a hand out and pushed the door open.   
The door opened into a wide room built of stone and bones. A dais was at the center. The sounds of fighting faded away as the demon shut the door behind her. She breathed, feeling the power that emanated from the being in the room. Sleeping. She was sleeping. But not for much longer. She stepped closer to the center of the room, knowing what she had to do.   
Golden cuffs were locked around wrists, keeping the woman chained to the table she lay on. Dark hair lay over her shoulders all the way down to her waist.   
"I'm here to wake you," the demon whispered, bowing to the sleeping female whose voice echoed through her head. 

A few hours later Bela was smiling as she succeeded in her mission. She had woken one of the Old Ones. "Hello darling," the Old One cooed. And then she consumed the demon had woken her. The human body Bela had been possessing collapsed on the floor. The Old One wrinkled her nose at it. 

The library was quiet despite the fact that there were three people in it. None of them spoke. They had no words for what had happened. Hours later and they were still trying to process everything. Footsteps sounded through the bunker. The Nephilim with no power was pacing. Sam could only imagine what he was going through. His biological father had attacked him and taken his grace, rendering him mortal. Human.   
Jack stared at the floor as he paced around the library. He needed to do something, but he couldn't. All that time trying to master his power and now it was gone. He didn't know what to do. He glanced up hopefully at Sam and Mary but they too looked depressed and confused.   
Mary was sitting in a chair staring absently at an open book. Her son was possessed by Michael. The Archangel Michael. She had questioned Sam on what to do but he had just shrugged. And unlike her he had had experience with archangels. If he didn't know what to do... She discreetly wiped at her eyes. No, there had to be something, some way to save Dean. She looked at the other two. Jack was frowning at the wall and Sam was staring up at the ceiling. He glanced down and caught his mother's eye. He turned away looking towards Jack. 

The hunter glanced around for the angel the boy had considered his father. He frowned when he didn't see him.   
"Where's Cas?" Sam asked. His voice was loud in the deafening silence. Mary looked at her son then over to where Castiel had last sat. She shook her head in confusion. Something cold ran down Sam's back. He knew instinctively Castiel was no longer in the bunker. 

"Castiel it's Sam. Whatever you're thinking of doing don't. It's not worth it. We'll find a way to get Dean back together. Please." The man listening to the message hit the button to turn the phone off. He adjusted his tan coat and smiled grimly. He had made his decision and Sam Winchester wasn't going to stop him. After all how could he when he didn't know what was going to happen next. Not even the great Winchester knew what enemies were out there. 

The Old One had plans. She strolled through the park, dark eyes watching the children running around and playing, but not really focusing on them.  
First she had to find the book. Then she could use it to get revenge on the one being who had done her the most wrong. Her stomach twisted at the memory, before she shook her head and the memory away.  
Second she had to- her mind drifted away from her plans distracted. She was being summoned. But the time for that had long past here. The people probably didn't know who she was, and if they did, they probably didn't believe in her anymore. Luckily she had never derived her powers from humans. Well the ones who were alive anyways. No, all she needed was the dead.   
She paused listening. The enormity of who was summoning her hit. And from where he was summoning her. She paused considering. Why would an angel who should be dead be summoning her? But of course if she considered where he was, well that made a bit more sense. Not many had power where HE was. She continued walking one moment in the park the next gone. No one noticed. 

"Dean," the man shifted, feeling a hand stroking his face. He didn't open his eyes. He pressed his face against the fingers.  
"Feels good," He mumbled. "Don't stop."  
A pause then a chuckle. "Never."  
"Cas..." Dean opened his eyes to see nothing. The fingers stroking his face, gone. Dean was alone. And, his heart sank, not in control of his own body. 

"Michael," Naomi breathed, staring at the archangel in front of her. He was wearing Dean Winchester. This frightened her. Especially since she knew this wasn't her Michael. This one was far more corrupted than hers had ever been. The archangel stepped forward looking around.   
"What's wrong here?" he asked in a tone that indicated he cared. Naomi glanced over at the other angel standing with her. Aniel. "There's so few angels left," Michael answered himself. He turned to the nervous angel. "Don't worry," he soothed. "With this vessel, I can bring them back. I can bring them all back."

"I can bring you back. It is a part of my power after all," the old one told the dead that had summoned her.   
"Great," one of them started to say.   
"What's the catch?" another one asked interrupting the first.   
A third one closed his eyes and breathed. A deal. Of course there'd be a catch. He just hoped they could afford it. He knew better than most about making a deal with the devil after all. And the Old One was pretty close to being a devil.   
"I just need a book," the Old One said. "Oh and to guarantee you'll bring it to me, I'll be keeping him," she gestured to the one that had woken the others. He agreed before the others could say a word.   
The second one under his breath mumbled, "damned idjit. Dean's not going to like this."  
Some time passed before the four found themselves on a road, once more filled with life. Only one of them remembered what had transpired. He kept his mouth shut, knowing his brother's life was riding on it. He began walking letting the other three follow. The silence didn't last long.  
"Who are you?" asked the man as he walked looking around. "What's going on?" He reached for a weapon he didn't have.   
"That's Gabriel, the archangel," Bobby answered grimly. John Winchester stared at the other hunter before swinging his head back to look at the determined angel who kept walking.   
The fourth man, another one John didn't recognize remained silent keeping up with the archangel.   
"I'm taking you back to your sons," Gabriel said loudly to John. "Something big is going down and the world is going to need them. And I suspect, you. Now if you want to keep questioning things go ahead, but I am tired and I just want to be there already. And if my Grace were to its usual standard I could have us there in a half a second. But as we were just brought back from the dead I'm running low. So we have to walk. Luckily we're not too far away." The archangel said all this to the others as he kept walking not looking behind him. 

 

The angel stared at the man before her. "Dean?" she started to ask. He smiled shaking his head. Her eyes widened. "Michael? He said yes," Anna shook her head. He had been so against it. What had happened? But that meant, the apocolypse, Lucifer. Her heart sank. She had tried so hard to stop it.   
"Heaven needs you Anna," Michael informed her gently.   
"Come sister," she turned to look. There were a few dozen angels behind her all ready to follow Michael. She supposed she had no choice now. If Lucifer was running around she had to help stop him. She went with her brothers and sisters up to heaven. Michael still down on earth stared up. Then his eyes rolled up to the back of his head and he collapsed. 

Dean stared around him. That bastard. He could feel him still, inside. He bit his lip hard, he needed to repel him, to kick him out like Sam had Gadreel, but he had a feeling that an archangel- Michael wouldn't be so easily kicked out. He could feel him clinging on. He hesitated. What would happen to him if Michael left? He remembered Raphael's vessel. A vegetable. He highly suspected that if Michael did leave, he wouldn't be standing.   
Then Michael came back and Dean was once again thrust into the recesses of his own mind and body. 

Michael rubbed at his head. Too much. It was too much bringing back those angels. The archangel frowned. He needed more. More power, more grace. But where and how? 

The creature in the cage stirred. It lifted its head and stared up. It's companion had long ago left them. Summoned by the Winchester brothers. It growled as it thought of them. A deep burning hatred filled it. It would have their revenge against them. It smiled. Something was coming for them. Something that would allow them out. The creature grinned. 

The Old One sat quietly, her hostage nearby. He didn't look at her. She had no reason to hurt or kill him. He was merely there to make sure she got what she wanted. Part of him wondered what she did want, but the rest of him was distracted. He had to get back to him. Back to Dean. Castiel let the tears slide down his face. Dean was in danger. Grave, terrible danger and he was stuck here. He could only hope that Gabriel could do something. The Old One shifted as she saw the tears on her hostage's face. She straightened up. She understood completely what the angel was feeling. And she sympathized. Her loved one, her husband, if she could go back in time and save him. But she couldn't. So instead she had to get revenge. She just hoped they'd give her the book, so she could release Castiel and he could save the man he loved before it was too late. Unlike her. 

The Thing in the cage laughed when the other being appeared. Dean Winchester had finally said yes.   
"Michael," it said staring at its other self.   
"What happened to you?" Michael asked curious. This was the him from this world? This mangled up thing? It grinned and didn't say anything before attacking. 

"Dean?" came the voice. Dean turned and turned trying to find him. Trying to find Castiel through the darkness. He blinked. Shapes formed in the dark.   
"Cas!" he cried out tripping over his feet. Something moved up ahead and Dean headed toward it. "Castiel," he bellowed when it turned out to be nothing. Not for the first time panic overtook him. He needed Cas. He struggled to breathe as he cried out for the angel.   
"Dean," came his voice again, in pain. Dean's heart restricted. Why couldn't he find him? Cas needed him and he couldn't find him. He kept on running his thoughts overflowing with Cas. 

The Cage and Hell shook with the fight of the archangel against himself. The Old One stirred, Castiel staring at her. By the time she got to the Cage it was too late. It was empty. 

The thing pretending to be Castiel looked down. "What an interesting development," The creature from the Empty said, even as part of him had known this would happen. He shrugged and moved on. He would wait until things played out. Then he would make his own move. 

Dean stared at the kitchen in the bunker. Well he stared at the people in the kitchen at the bunker. His mom, Sam, Jack, Bobby, his dad, Jo and Ellen, Charlie and Kevin, Ash were the ones he saw before his vision began to blur and the noise began to overwhelm him. Instinctively he covered his ears with his hands and closed his eyes, struggling gasping for air.   
Arms wrapped around him and he was pulled against someone. His breathing slowed and became easier and he found himself sinking into the embrace. He didn't have to open his eyes to see who it was holding him.   
"Cas," Dean mumbled, feeling far more settled than he had before.   
"Hello Dean."

Sam paced the bunker swearing. Dean was possessed and Castiel had run off to what? Get himself killed. If that happened and Dean came back... Sam kicked the chair in front of him. He had seen how Dean was the last time Cas was dead and that was only for a couple of weeks. Sam took in a deep breath. He highly doubted Cas would be able to come back this time.   
"I hope you know what you're doing Cas," he called to the ceiling. "I can't lose you too," he said softer.   
"Lose who dear?" came the familiar Scottish accent.   
Sam sighed. "Hey Rowena," he mumbled turning to look at the red head who smiled brightly at him.   
"Sit and tell dear Rowena what's going on?" she cooed gesturing to a chair that was still standing before taking it herself. 

Sam had just finished explaining everything that had happened while the witch had been traveling with alternate universe Charlie when a knocking came from the door.   
"That had better be you Castiel," Sam muttered as he made his way to the stairs. 

"Hiya Sammy!" Gabriel grinned at the stunned hunter. The archangel was leaning against the doorway his hair mussed.   
"What the f-" Sam was cut off by Rowena.  
"Fergus!" she cried rushing past the men toward her son embracing him.   
"Mother," he said not making any move to hug her back, standing rather stiffly arms by his sides.  
"Mother?" Bobby looked at the pair incredulously. "That's Crowley's mother? What have you been doing while I've been dead Sam?"  
"Yes I would like to know that too." Sam's eyes widened and he looked at the familiar man stepping toward him.   
"Dad?" 

"Sam?" Jack stepped up behind the hunter looking at the people at the door then at him. "What's going on?"   
"Who is this?" Bobby asked staring at the young boy who regarded him curiosity in his eyes.   
Crowley stared, Rowena had finally released him, before crossing himself.   
"You let Lucifer's son be born?" He finally said, rounding on Sam, after pushing past John and Bobby.   
"Lucifer?" John and Bobby said in unison.  
"No it's he's fine. Jack is nothing like Lucifer," Sam found himself saying. Jack looked down at his feet.   
"He's really not," Gabriel jumped in before smiling at his nephew.   
There was a pause. "Gabriel how are you all alive?" Sam directed to the archangel.   
"That's," Gabriel shifted. "We were all in the Empty. We escaped." He shut his mouth and glanced in the others' direction. "Perhaps its better if we talk privately."   
"Absolutely not," John snarled.   
Sam nodded his head. "Let's go inside," he held the door open wider to let the resurrected go into the bunker. 

A few moments later they were all sitting in the bunker's library. Jack quietly informed Sam that Mary had gone to her room before their visitors arrived. Sam knew he should go and talk to her, but he needed to deal with the others first.   
"Can you go check on her," he asked the boy quietly. "Tell her I'm going to come and talk to her in a few, but for now I need her to stay where she is while I figure out what's going on here."  
Jack looked at him, eyebrows furrowed, "I don't think she'll want to stay in her room. She's going to want to be here," he pointed out.   
"Who?" John asked from behind his son. Sam closed his eyes and breathed.   
"Dad, just give me a minute. Gabriel!"

"What's going on?" Sam demanded of the archangel as they stood in the corner of the library. The hunters and Crowley were staring at the pair from the other side of the room, but Sam ignored them.   
"We were in the Empty," Gabriel began quietly.  
"Wait, even Dad and Bobby," Sam asked, looking confused.  
"Yes, I believe they both pissed off the angels and were thrown down into the Empty, but I'm not sure." Gabriel said looking annoyed at the interruption.   
"So what you all woke up?"   
"We were woken up. By Castiel." Gabriel explained.   
Sam shook his head as Jack slipped back into the room. He glanced at the boy.   
"She's sleeping," he responded to his guardian's silent question before sitting down between Bobby and Rowena. Bobby was giving the red head suspicious looks. The witch in turn smiled at the hunter looking far too smug. Sam was just waiting for her to start flirting with Bobby. The thought made him feel a bit ill.   
"Wait how did Castiel-" a thought occurred to Sam. "He killed himself to get to the Empty."  
Gabriel shot the hunter a look. "Real good thing you're pretty," he muttered. "No of course not. He wouldn't have been awake then now would he? He was already dead."   
Sam looked at the angel. "What?"  
"Turns out Cassie has been dead this entire time. The being in the Empty decided to pretend to be him."  
Sam stared at Gabriel, feeling the blood drain from his face. "But we would have known."  
Gabriel shook his head. "I didn't even know Sammy. Not until I died and saw him for myself. This thing is able to get into your head and find things out. It's like a shapeshifter, but much better at hiding in plain sight."   
There was a pause.  
"It told Cas about Dean. How he said yes to Michael so he could kill Lucifer. Then it left again, so Cas began waking us up. Only we didn't know how to leave."  
"Yes how did we leave?" Sam groaned before turning to look at the eavesdropper.   
"Come on Moose, we deserve to know. I mean," he raised his voice, "I sacrificed myself for you and Squirrel, I would like to know how and why I'm back from the dead."   
"You sacrificed yourself?" Bobby stared at the former King of Hell.   
"I did." Crowley said grinning smugly.   
"My boy's a hero," Rowena said proudly, grabbing her son by the shoulders and hugging him. Big words for someone who'd never been into doing good deeds, Sam thought to himself.   
John scowled from his chair before focusing his eyes on his son. Sam wondered if someone had told him who Crowley really was or if he was reacting based on Bobby’s clear distrust of him.  
"We didn't have a choice so we summoned her. The only other being other than the one in the Empty that could pull us out," Gabriel said so everyone could hear. Crowley froze, face ashen.   
"I felt it when she woke up. One of the demons must have.." he broke off. "We made a deal. She'd bring us back, on two conditions."  
"A deal! We made a deal. With HER!" Crowley shrieked. Everyone stared at him before turning back to Gabriel.   
He sighed. "Castiel made the deal. Anything to save Dean. We all know that. Well all of us that have ever seen them together." Gabriel's eyes slid to John and back. Rowena scoffed thinking back to the mark of Cain.   
"What," Sam felt like he was on the precipice of something major.  
"One, Castiel stays with her. Until condition number two has been met." Jack shifted closer to his uncle looking anxious.   
"She wants the Book of the Damned," Gabriel said.   
"Oh no. No way!" Rowena cried out. "It's mine, and no one is going to get it."   
"Rowena," Sam began. She turned to him a glare on her face.   
"I agree with Mother. You don't want her to have the book." Crowley interjected.   
"Crowley, who is she? And why don't we want her to have the book?" Sam calmly said. Inside he was quaking. If this was Crowley's reaction then it must be bad, not only that but Gabriel looked unnerved.   
“What is this book?” John interrupted.   
“Magic. Dark magic,” Sam answered succinctly before turning back to the archangel. John looked at Rowena suspiciously.   
"The demons call her the Old One. Well they refer to her as one of the Old Ones. And for one of them to release her. Must have been a fanatic, because they fear her." Gabriel shuddered. “Either that or she got into one’s head.”   
Sam turned to Crowley. "She eats demons. It's part of what makes her so powerful," he supplied.   
"Huh." Sam said. "I've never heard of a being that eats demons," he said.   
"No that's not something they include in her story for the kids in school," Crowley muttered darkly.   
"School?"  
"Mythology. English class." Gabriel said.   
"Oh yes, you have heard of her Moose. The girl who married a God. The God of the Underworld." Crowley paused waiting for Sam to catch on.   
"Some versions, Greek I believe, call her Kore, assuming I'm remembering correctly, but most know her by another name."  
"Persephone," Sam breathed. 

Dean rubbed at his head, blinking. Finally things focused. He was standing on hot asphalt, his feet burning. He glanced down to confirm that he was in fact barefoot. Without realizing it he lifted his hand up to rub at his neck, frowning. There was a memory there that was important but he couldn't quite catch it.   
Michael...  
The hunter shifted, feeling the sense of someone there, but faint. He glanced around again. He could see faint outlines of objects, but couldn't make them out completely. It made him panic for a moment and he couldn’t figure out why. The hunter took a deep breath before remembering his dreams of Cas. A faint tinge of pink touched his cheeks. Apparently Michael wasn’t fooled by all of Dean’s pretending and used the one person he lov- cared about most to distract him from fighting back.  
He glanced up to see the sky devoid of the moon. Or was it just blocked by a cloud? He wasn't sure. He began walking, pain ricocheting around his body and a faint fluttering inside. 

It stared around at the world, lifting it's hands up into the air. It could feel the stolen grace inside. It wasn't enough though. It needed more power. The other Michael had gotten away before it could get all of it’s Grace and kill it. The thing paused thinking. One of its personalities whispered to the other. It grinned.   
Purgatory was filled with souls it could use. Then it could get its revenge. Its brothers would feel its wrath for everything they'd done. 

Rowena sat up straight barely containing a gasp. Persephone. Demeter's daughter. That evil bitch. Everyone thought of Demeter as a devoted mother, but Rowena knew better. She hesitated as the men continued talking. Should she tell them what she knew? It would explain why the Goddess wanted the book. She couldn't blame the girl for that. She after all knew a lot about revenge. And if Persephone was getting revenge on the person Rowena thought, well it could be a win- win. Especially because then the Goddess would owe her. The redhead smiled to herself. The witch slipped quietly out of the room. Perhaps she'd help the Old One after all. 

Benny dodged another Leviathan and continued running. The trees blurred as he ran, sensing finally that he'd lost the thing chasing him, slowing down just slightly when there was a harsh light. His feet slipped underneath him as he tried changing directions and he managed to get behind a tree as he fell. He sensed something passing by him. Something big. He cautiously looked around to see a door. A door out of purgatory. Brows furrowed as screaming began. He hesitated for a moment before pushing through the door into the other place. It took half a second for the vampire to realize where he was. Hell. 

Persephone felt a tug. A frown curled her lip and she glanced at her prisoner. He was sitting staring at the ground, his lips moving silently, mouthing something over and over. She ignored the summons and moved closer to the angel. It took her a moment, but she realized what he was repeating.   
Dean...  
She felt another tug. She gently touched her captive, he looked up. She linked her arm through his and then they were away.   
"You're not one of them," Persephone said, staring at the woman in front of her. The red head turned her head away from where she was looking at Castiel. He froze when he saw what she was holding out to the demi goddess.   
The Book of the Damned.   
"My book," Persephone murmured, a slight smile on her face.   
"You'll let him go right?" Rowena demanded nodding her head toward Cas. The dark haired woman smiled.   
"I have no more reason to hold him," she answered. She held her hand out for the book. Rowena let go and Castiel moved toward her. Within a second of touching it, both Persephone and the book were gone.   
"Let's get you home dear," Rowena took Castiel's arm, whispering something under her breath and then they were at the bunker. 

There was slight movement in the doorway. Sam glanced up to see his mother looking into the room. Her eyes fell on John's back and her mouth parted.   
"John," she called out before Sam could say anything. John froze, eyes widening and then he whipped around.   
"Mary," he said. He glanced back at Sam.   
"I was trying to figure out how to tell you." He said shifting slightly.  
"Mary. Your mother Mary," Bobby asked incredulously.   
"I heard you punched Lucifer. Good for you," Crowley commented holding his drink up to the woman. Sam frowned trying to piece together when Crowley had gotten a drink.   
"They were brought back from the dead," Sam summarized quickly. "Dad, and this reality's Bobby, Gabe and Crowley."   
"Castiel too," Gabriel commented. "He's just not here."   
Mary was staring at her husband, but then pulled her eyes away. "Castiel?" she questioned.   
"Apparently he's been dead this entire year, it was the creature in the Empty pretending to be him," Sam sighed. "I don't know why though and that worries me."   
There was a banging at the door. They all stopped and stared. Sam moved walking out of the library towards the entrance of the bunker. The others followed him. The door opened before Sam could even reach the foot of the stairs and in came two figures.   
"Mother!" Crowley said moving past Sam towards the red head.   
"Cas?" Sam asked stepping forward as his eyes focused in on the angel. How could he be sure it was actually his friend this time?   
"Oh don't worry dears it's him," Rowena said waving her hand, shutting the door behind her without touching it. Sam could sense John stiffening up at the blatant display of magic. The two came down the stairs.   
"Cas," Sam breathed moving forward to the angel and pulling him into a hug. Cas returned it stiffly before pulling away.   
"Dean," he started to say and then stopped. Sam took in the pain in the man's eyes and smiled sadly.   
"We know Cas," he said quietly.   
"Castiel?" the angel turned to look at the boy who had said his name. He paused for a moment before a smile carved his lips.  
"Jack," he said. Jack nodded and took a step forward before hesitating. Castiel reached out a hand to the boy who relaxed and took it. The two moved off talking softly.   
Gabriel's eyes followed them but he remained where he was.   
"How did you get him back?" he asked softly, his question breaking the silence that had fallen over the room. Sam looked up to see Gabriel staring at Rowena. The question was asked with no inflection, but Sam knew without a doubt that Gabriel knew the answer to the question and was furious.   
Rowena lifted her head and Crowley stepped closer to his mother looking at her curiously.   
"You gave the Book to her," Crowley stated, his back to Gabriel.   
"The girl deserves her revenge," Rowena answered calmly.   
"Revenge?" Bobby asked at the same time Gabriel exploded.   
"Girl??? She's far older than you. And not if her revenge comes at the expense of the world!" the Archangel shouted, lights in the bunker flickering. “Do you know what Demeter can do? She’s far more powerful than any witch should be! What with making deals with Gods! And Persephone, oh the power of the dead at her fingertips thanks to her husband." Gabriel paused as he took in a breath.   
Sam looked over to see John moving towards Mary, putting his hand on her arm. She glanced at him before turning her attention back to the wrathful angel.  
"What a stupid thing..." Gabriel lifted his arm, his blade in his hand. Sam moved quickly and touched his shoulder.   
"Stop," he said quietly. To his surprise the angel did casting a glance back at the young man. Sam was so busy looking at Gabriel he missed the look of confusion on his father’s face.   
"Well, thank-" Sam cut Rowena off. "We both know that I'm going to be the one that kills you," he warned her. She swallowed and stepped back, vanishing as she did so, Crowley vanishing with her.   
Bobby stood up clearing his throat. "Is there a place to sleep around here?" he asked sounding rather calm for Bobby. Sam was surprised he wasn’t bombarding him with questions.   
"I can show you a room," Mary responded from where she still stood with John. The three of them left, but not before John threw a glance at his younger son that he did catch this time.   
Sam turned to see Gabriel staring at him. "You stopped," he said questioningly.   
Gabriel shifted. "Yea well I owe you," he muttered. Sam raised a brow. "You helped me after Asmodeaus. Plus there was that time that I killed your brother every day for over 100 days in a row." He was avoiding Sam's eyes when he said this.   
Sam pushed down the pain that brought him. "You also turned me into a car, and gave me a STD," he said trying to add some humor into the situation, all the while hoping no one was listening or they’d get the wrong idea. Gabriel smiled slightly at that.   
"Do you want a room to rest in?" he asked feeling awkward as he did so. Gabriel glanced at him before slowly nodding his head.   
Sam had just left Gabriel's room when he walked into his father. "Explain," he said simply. Sam tried to summarize what had happened after his father's death bringing him all the way up to Dean agreeing to house Michael. Well the important pieces anyway. It was just when he was ending that they made it to Dean's room. Sam started when he realized the door was open and the room wasn't empty. He stopped John from entering. "Its fine," he said softly closing the door gently, leaving Castiel curled up on Dean's bed.   
"Cas and Dean are close," he commented. John glanced at Sam. "How close," he asked neutrally, although Sam suspected his father already had an inkling from things said and not said.   
Sam sighed. "When Cas died, Dean was suicidal. Actually he did commit suicide. All in the name of a case, but,” Sam shook his head, “Death herself refused to let Dean stay dead. It was a few hours later that who we thought was Cas came back from the dead. Dean was like a whole different man. I’ve never seen him as happy."  
"And Cas he returns these feelings for Dean?" John asked hesitantly.   
"He adores Dean. He gave up his family, the other angels for Dean. Numerous times." Sam said. "It's like the unwavering devotion and loyalty angels are suppose to have for God was transferred over to Dean and over time a familial love changed-," Sam paused and turned. Jack was staring at the two.   
"What is it?" Sam asked. The Nephilim shifted.   
“There’s something out there,” Jack said looking through the walls as if they weren’t there. “I can feel it.”   
“What is it?” John asked the boy. Sam exchanged glances with Jack before nodding slightly.  
Jack shook his head. “I’m not sure. Just something powerful and dangerous.” 

Cas lay very still on Dean's bed. He had long since stopped trying to think of ways to rid Dean of Michael without the hunter being harmed. He could come up with nothing short of God. But Chuck was nowhere to be found and Cas had a feeling even if he could find him, he wouldn't do anything. Blue eyes closed in frustration and pain. He just wanted Dean back. There had to be a way. And there had to be a way to save Heaven. Cas pressed his hands to his eyes fighting back the very human like tears that were forming.   
The temperature dropped. Cas sat up and looked at the ghost that was looking at him.   
"Benny?"

John was sitting next to Mary both of them very quiet. The silence was heavy and John glanced at his wife. So many things had happened since that night in 1983 and he wasn't sure how their relationship would survive with it. But, he had to try. He began talking and Mary listened, his diary in her lap. 

"Sam!" Sam sat upright and stumbled out of bed towards his brother's room. Cas met him at the door, both ignoring all the others in the bunker now in the hall staring at them. Cas gestured and Sam's mouth dropped open. "Benny?" he said.   
The ghost looked at him. "You're in danger," he said, flickering slightly. "There's something dangerous after you. They were talking about it."  
"Who was talking about it?" Sam asked, moving closer.   
"The demons in Hell. It escaped from the Cage and it wants you and Dean. And the angels. It's going after the souls in purgatory right now. But it won't take much longer," Benny said.   
"The Cage?" Sam looked at Cas. There was movement behind him and Gabriel stepped into the small space in front of Dean's door. He glanced at the dead vampire.   
"Michael. From this dimension." He said slowly. Benny shook his head.  
"He's not Michael, not anymore. It's a mix of him and the human he possessed. Two very angry beings at their brothers twisted into one."   
"Adam," Sam said softly, pain and sadness in his tone. Gabriel flinched and stared at the back of Sam's head. Cas caught the look and for a brief moment was pulled out of his pain enough to wonder.   
"It was mad about the other one from the other world. But," Benny paused.   
"The other Michael. The one possessing Dean," Cas said his mind reverting back to the one human he was always thinking about, worried about.   
"The demons, they said, that It stole the other Michael's grace," Benny said. Cas and Gabe's heads whipped around and stared at the ghost.   
"Dean?" Cas questioned. Benny opened his mouth as if to answer and then flickered out of sight. Sam's heart sank.   
"What should we do?" he asked Cas. Cas looked at the younger hunter with empty eyes and Sam knew he wasn’t going to get a response from the angel.  
Sam turned and met Gabriel's eyes. "I don't know Sam. It depends on how much grace was stolen and," the archangel stopped at the look in Sam's eyes. He didn't finish his sentence.   
"I think perhaps you should go to bed. And we'll see what's going on in the morning," Gabriel suggested. Not that Sam would get any sleep. He knew this from years before when he'd killed Dean. The archangel watched as Sam reassured everyone in the hallway that no one was attacking and that the bunker had sirens if anything did break in. Amber eyes trailed the taller man into his bedroom. Gabriel then turned to Cas. He gently led his brother back to Dean's bed and tucked him in. He knew it'd be a restless night for the angel. He also knew that in order to find Dean he'd need help. The archangel was going to have to swallow his anger at the witch and see if she could track Dean down. Or his body. Or Michael from the other world. Whoever.   
He owed that much to Sam. 

Rowena sat with her legs crossed as she stared at the archangel. "You tried to kill me and now you want me to do you a favor?" she asked, arching a brow. The two were in a hotel room. A nice one, but the archangel wasn’t surprised. Gabriel glared at her. Rowena smirked. "You tried to kill me," she reminded him again.   
"Mother," came a soft voice. Crowley was sitting in the corner, arms wrapped around himself. Gabriel wondered if Rowena knew about the change in her son’s… condition. Crowley certainly knew. And Cas had probably noticed even considering how distracted he was.   
Rowena looked at her son. "Fine," she relented. "Besides it's not you that will do me in anyways."   
Gabriel sat down to wait while the witch worked her magic wondering about her comment and Sam’s from earlier. 

 

Persephone stared at her mother. Demeter stared back for a moment before grinning. Her daughter growled.   
“I thought you were,” Demeter paused for a moment. “Sleeping,” she finished delicately.   
Persephone snorted, enjoying the wince and the dirty look her mother shot her. After all she always had to act like a lady. Well Demeter’s idea of a lady anyways. “You mean from your spell? And the demons helping you? Guess what it didn’t stick,” she pointed out. “And now you have to face me after-“  
“After I saved you?” Demeter cut in. Persephone shook her head.   
“Saved me? You destroyed my husband!” Persephone cried out. “He-“ she shook her head, tears falling from her eyes.   
“I saved you from that miserable place. With the dead.” Demeter snorted. “How you could ever be happy down there instead of up here in the sunshine and grass.” She waved her hand around.   
“Because I would have been so much happier with Zeus?” Persephone asked, anger burning through her veins.   
“You would have been far more powerful,” Demeter commented airily.  
“If Hera hadn’t killed me.” Persephone pointed out. “Besides I didn’t want the power. You did. So you could go from a half rate witch to a demi goddess.”   
“Full goddess actually, even if Zeus didn’t get what he wanted.” Demeter said. Persephone stared at her mother incredulously. “They talk about me in schools. Children today know my name. And what a good mother I was. They know about you too. How that… thing, kidnapped you and forced you to marry him. Granted they think Zeus is your father, but you can’t get all the facts correct after thousands of years. And if you’d listened to me you could have been a full Goddess too,” the older woman started to say.   
“Not with Zeus. Never with him. Hades,” Persephone choked up and couldn’t finish.   
“Didn’t ask for enough from his brother. Although I am a bit surprised he stole you from him. Never would have expected it.”  
“Stole me? I’m not an object. And that didn’t stop you from going after him from“ Persephone stopped. Why was she having this fight? She knew what she needed to do.   
She straightened up. “You know what you did to my husband, to the love of my life. And to me. And you’re going to pay,” she said.   
It was over far more quickly than the demi goddess would have thought. Although just as she’d thought, her mother was far too arrogant to believe her own daughter would kill her. Which honestly was probably better for the world and the humans on it. Otherwise things could have gotten way too messy and way too destructive way too fast. 

Rowena made a noise. Both Gabriel and Crowley turned to look at her. She was shaking her head. “I can’t, he’s blocked somehow. There's no way for me to track Michael or Dean."   
Gabriel had to give her credit. She at least looked sad. Or what passed for sad with her. He stepped away and turned to leave.   
"Wait. Take me with you," Crowley stood up and looked at Gabriel. The archangel paused and stared.  
"Gabriel!" Came the prayer. "Michael and Adam. They're here." Sam's prayer sounded in Gabe's head. Gabriel straightened up. He looked at the witch and her son with wide eyes before disappearing in a rush of wings.   
He reappeared in the bunker where sirens were blaring. Sam, Mary, John, Jack and Bobby were all crowded into the map room. Sam stood up looking relieved at the sight of Gabriel.  
“I was trying to get Rowena to track Dean down. She said he’s blocked somehow. She couldn’t track down Michael either.” Gabriel explained in a rush even as they heard pounding on the door. “Where’s Cassie?” he asked.   
“Still in Dean’s room. He’s not in a condition to fight,” Sam said. “He’ll just get himself killed again.”  
“So this thing after us is the Michael from this world?” Mary asked holding a sword. Gabriel frowned at it.   
“That won’t do anything. You need an angel blade and an archangel to wield it,” he explained. “And yes, but he’s not sane. He was trapped in the cage with Lucifer for a long time. He and his vessel kind of melded together. Both of them very angry at their brothers,” he added looking at Sam who glanced away.   
“Angels need vessels?” John asked.   
“They have to ask their human vessels permission, unlike demons,” Bobby jumped in. “But they’re not above trickery when it comes down to it.”  
John glanced back in the direction of Dean’s room.  
“Jimmy knew what he was getting into. Also he’s not there anymore, he’s up in heaven along with his wife. It’s just Cas,” Sam explained knowing where his father’s mind was.   
Bobby looked at Sam at his explanation. “Amelia passed a few years ago. Claire lives with Jody now. She’s also gotten into hunting. Not bad at it,” he told the older hunter.   
He then turned to Gabriel. “Do you have an archangel sword,” he asked getting back to the matter at hand, as there was still banging at the door. He knew it would be minutes at most before Michael/Adam managed to get in. Gabriel opened his mouth and then shut it.   
“Uh no.” he said. Sam closed his eyes.   
“Of course not,” he said with resignation. Just when he thought Gabriel could be helpful he wasn’t. Every. Goddamn. Time.   
“What do we do?” Mary asked, still clutching the sword in her hands. It was at that moment the door broke in and through the dust they saw Michael enter.   
“Adam?” John said. Sam turned to glance at his father whose face was a mask of shock and pain.   
“Dad?” Michael froze in one spot and stared at John.  
“Dad?” Mary looked at her husband.   
“Adam is our brother,” Sam said softly to his mother. “Michael couldn’t get Dean to say yes, but he got Adam to,” he continued, not taking his eyes off his half brother who was possessed by the archangel.   
The archangel tilted his head a grin on his face. “Good we can kill you as well. Dearest Father,” he snarled moving forward. John rocked back on his feet as Bobby aimed a gun and shot off several rounds.   
“Run,” he shouted. They ran, Michael following them. Sam had a sudden flashback to when he and Dean were sucked into Scooby Doo’s world and the crazy chase they’d gone on then. They’d made it into the hallway by Dean’s bedroom when Cas came stumbling out.   
“Michael?” he asked staring.   
“Castiel,” Michael replied as the lights began flashing and his wings puffed out. Michael raised his hand to, Sam wasn’t quite sure what, possibly smite them when a sword came bursting through his chest. A scream and Michael, and by extension Adam, fell to the floor, wings branded into the tiles across the hall. The group of hunters and angels looked up to see a familiar face.  
“Dean!” Castiel cried out pushing past Bobby and his brother.   
“Cas wait!” Jack cried out.   
“It’s him. It’s Dean,” Gabriel said as Dean and Castiel fell into each other’s arms. “There’s a little bit of Michael still there, his grace really, that’s why Deano was able to use the sword to kill this Michael, but the other Michael is pretty much gone,” the archangel explained, his shoulders relaxing.   
“He still has Michael’s grace?” Bobby asked, sounding confused.   
“Yea, just a little. It’s just if it replenishes Michael will be able to take back over. Unless,” Gabriel’s eyes lit up. “Deano,” he reached his hand out to the hunter. Touching Dean’s shoulder he closed his eyes before reaching out and touching Jack. Sam, Mary, John and Bobby watched transfixed as Gabriel transferred the grace inside Dean into Jack. “This one will be able to handle Mikey’s grace considering he’s his nephew and all,” Gabriel said satisfied. “and the other Michael is officially snuffed out without his grace. Although I left what remains of Cas’ grace inside of you,” Gabriel explained to Dean.   
“Wait what?” Dean asked looking violated.   
“From when he saved you from Hell all those years ago. A bit of his grace was left inside.”  
Everybody turned to look at Cas.   
“Have you seen the way he eats?” Cas asked suddenly with a tinge of anger. “If I hadn’t he would be 300 pounds and have extremely high cholesterol. There’s only so much running around and fighting you can do while avoiding fruits and vegetables. It’s not healthy!”  
Sam laughed.   
“So you’ve been keeping me healthy?” Dean asked looking confused. He looked over at Bobby and his father before doing a double take.   
“Dad?” Dean asked moving to hug John.   
“Damned Idgit. Just going to ignore me huh?” Bobby questioned.   
“This universe’s Bobby,” Sam explained. Dean laughed and moved to hug the other hunter.   
“Welcome back,” he said.   
“Yes welcome back,” came a familiar voice. The group turned to see Castiel. But no, Castiel was standing next to Dean as well.   
“I know who you are,” Cas said looking at the smirking clone of himself.   
“I know who I am too,” the Empty replied. “Just as I told you, I knew who you loved,” he let his eyes fall on the members of the group, lingering on Dean.   
“Congratulations on beating Michael. Both of them. I knew you could do it,” he grinned at Dean who took a step closer to Cas.   
“What do you want?” Sam demanded stepping closer to the being. Gabriel shifted so he was next to the hunter, the archangel blade Dean has used in his hand.   
“I wanted to see what it was about you that Castiel loved so much. That he fought so hard to get back to. That he woke me up for,” the being said.   
“So I came back in his place to see if the world was worth it. To see if I should send him back and go back to my slumber. Or if I should put everyone on this world to sleep with me and let this planet die.”  
Cas’ fingers brushed Dean’s. Dean shifted his hand so Cas’ could slip his in, fingers interlacing.   
The Empty saw this and smiled. Bobby and Mary shivered at the smile.   
“This world, is not worth it. All the fighting,” the being sighed. “It hasn’t gotten any better since the last time I was awake.”  
“You were awake before?” Sam asked looking at the thing. He sensed there was something more. Something everyone was missing.   
“Yes of course. Until,” the being shook his head. “Love isn’t worth it,” he said staring at Dean’s and Cas’ interlaced hands. “Everyone and everything will abandon you. That’s what I learned the last time. My own brother,” he broke off. “I understand where Michael and Adam were coming from. Although my brother was a lot worse.”  
“Brother?” Gabriel said slowly. “The empty where the dead go sometimes, it used to go by a different name, didn’t it?” he asked staring at the being. It smiled and shifted so it no longer looked like Castiel. Now it was another dark haired man.   
“Gabriel,” he said with an accent. “It used to be known by my own name,” the man said.   
“Hades,” Bobby breathed. The man looked at the hunter. “We just met your wife.”   
Hades took a step back shaking his head. “No, Persephone was taken from me by Zeus. And her mother.”   
“She’s awake and alive,” Mary said.  
“Well possibly. She went off to destroy Demeter,” Gabriel put it. “We haven’t seen her since.” The others looked at him.   
“Well I want to be honest. She very well could be dead now. We don’t want to get his hopes up only to dash them again.” Gabriel said as an aside to Sam who was staring at him openmouthed.   
Hades shook his head. “No. If she did that then she’s dead. And so is the world,” Hades raised his hand.   
Gabe stepped forward with his sword.   
Sam tensed up.  
John and Mary turned to look at each other.  
Dean tightened his fingers around Cas’.  
“Darling I wouldn’t do that.” A voice rang out.   
Rowena and Crowley stood behind Hades. Rowena was smirking. Hades spun around and glared at the pair.   
“Why not?” he growled.   
“Because I’m asking you not to,” Persephone stepped out from behind the mother son duo. Sam glanced at Rowena and realized she was holding a very familiar book.   
“My mother is dead.” Persephone informed them. “No damage was done to the world. And we’ve found each other,” she smiled sweetly at Hades before stepping towards him and standing on her tiptoes to kiss him.   
The Greek lovers vanished leaving everyone else behind in the bunker.  
“So the world is saved?” Dean asked.   
Gabriel nodded his head with a smile. “And there were no consequences that you now need to clean up. So I would say it’s saved yes.”  
“What about heaven?” Castiel exclaimed suddenly.   
“He brought the angels back,” Dean responded. “Michael. He brought some of the angels back from the dead. That’s why his grace got so weak and he went after this world’s Michael. He was trying to take his grace to help him bring all the angels back.”  
Gabriel vanished for a brief moment and then returned. But he didn’t return alone. Anna, Samandriel and Balthazar stood behind him. Balthazar glanced at Cas’ fingers entwined with Dean’s and rolled his eyes.   
Anna was smiling at Sam and Dean who glared back at her. “Heaven is filled with enough angels to keep it going,” she said softly before hesitating. "If you wanted to stay here Castiel, or you can come home if you want," she let her voice drift off as she looked at her brother.   
Castiel turned to look at Dean before turning back to the redhead. He smiled softly.   
"I am home," he said.


End file.
